Insect destroyer



March 30 I G. W. GIBSON ET AL INSECT DESTROYER Filed Jan. '7, 1924 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 i uvento't. GeorgeWG4bam qHarveyLsiemv-b w o a n March '30, 1926.

G. w. GIBSON ET AL INSECT DESTROYER Filed Jan. '7, 1924 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 (Gibson L .Stewari b M e U n 3 George Harvey March 30 1926.

G. w. GIBSON ET AL msac'r DESTROYER Filed Jan. '7 1924 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 George WGi bs n. Harvey Lsfewafl Patented Mar. 30,

' UNIT ED rice;

GEORGE W. GIBsoN ANn nanvnir LQSTEZWAIRT, or nun annnn ARKANSAS,

' insnocr nnszrnonnnl Application filed January- 7,'19'24. seriaiiie; 684,828

To all whom it may concemx p Be it'known that we, GEORGE lV. GIBSON and HARVEY L. STEWART, citizens of the United States, residing at Humphrey, in: the

5 county of'Arka nsas and State 'of'Arkansas,

have invented certain new andusei'ul lm provements in Insect Destroyers, of which the following isra specification, reference being bad to theTaccompanying drawings.

'This invention relates'to insect destroyers and'has relationmore particularly to a, doe vice of this general 1 character especially designed and adapted for use in the destruction of boll weevils and the like and it is an object of the inventionto -p1'ov de.,a

device. of "this kind hav ng novel and 1m.-

proved means whereby the boll weevils or other lnsects Wlll. be readily and conveniently collected without injury "to the plants together with means for destroying theinseets collected. l f 7 Another objector the invention isto provide a novel and improved deviceofthis generalcharacter embodying two spaced hoppersone of which having gathering means associated therewith and delivering fIOHItllG second hO-pper,.the second hopper being pro vided with life destroying means.

Furthermore it is an object of ti-on to provide a device of this general char-' acter embodying novel and fimp'roi 'ed; means of a pneumatic character for'collecting or gathering theboll weevils orthe like to be destroyed, said means being so, constructed andrarranged to operate in conjunction with tops and sides of'the plants.

Another ob ect of the invention is to-pro vide a novel and improved device of. this general character comprisinga suction head for gathering the insects tohe destroyed together with means for supporting such head 7 in a manner wherehythe same may be vertically ad usted in accordance w th the size of the plants. or as may otherwise be re- V quired.

The inventionv'consists in the detail-sot construction and in thecombination. and arrangementof the severalkparts of our improved insect destroyer whereby certain important advantages are attained andithe device; rendered simpler; .lsseXpensive. and

forth. p v1 The novel "features of oui'" invention will hereinafter .hedefinitely claimed.

the inven;

otherwise more conyenient and advantageous as. will be hereinafter, more fullyset' l for. use,

In order that our inventiontinay he the a: Cl

better understoodgwe will now proceed toT describe the same .withireference to the ac-f con'ipanying drawings, whereinf e" Figurel is a-view'in side elevation of'an' insect destroyer constructed infaccordance with an embodiment of our; invention;

Figure 2 is a fragmentary. view in. front elevation of thehead and nozzles carried t'hereby;fl

Figure V ture as illustrated inFigure 1;

, Figure 'is an enlarged fragmentary View in plan illustrating in detail theclutch'ineclr anism as herein included; 7

Figure ois afragmentary sectional view a taken substantially on. the line of Figu'e 8 through the rear housing and crushng members arranged therein; i l '*-.I'ligure 6, is a sectional view takeneub i stantially on the line, 6-6 of Figureffi through: the f ont; housing as herein. disclosed.

Ags disclosed in" the" accompanyingdraw-' ings,' P: denotes, aplatform of requisite dimensions and wliichli's'provided at predetermined point intermediate its ends and at the opposite sides thereof with the underhunghearmgs 1; 'Op'eratively engagedwithf the hearings l and extending transversely of the platform is the axle 2011 the en tI'BDlltlBS of which are'mo'unted the'ground, engaging wheels V1 1. f i 7 U7 Operatively engaged with the forward s end portion oftheplatfornrPis adrattrigis aJview in tOP'plhD of the struc-' ging D whereby the; machine may be readily ti'ansported;-.-

practice, the wheels W are adapted to be arranged at opposite: sidesof a row ofplants to be treated with theplatform I? positioned thereahove. r i

Mounted upon the platform P and ex tending thereabove is a super-structureoi:

supporting frames which supports an" elongated arched'conduitfl disposed in adiree tion lengthwise of the platform PL The forward portion of'ithe conduiti G has ,in communication therewith and dependi-ng therefrom a casing 3 in which is are ran'geda fan F, said fan being fixed to a shaft-4 disposed through the casing and in a direction transverse of the platform P. v v The induction; opening-5 to the casing 3 is positioned at the, lower portion of said casing 3 and is continued by a depending member or housing 6. The member or hous ing 6 has secured thereto and is continued by a depending eXpansible conduit Elth'e Walls of which being of a bellows construc-- tion and secured to the 'lowerportion of said 'tice may require.

expansible conduit E :is ahead or plate 8 closingsaid lower end. The member E. prosyides means whereby the head 8 'may be raised or lowered as the occasions of iprac- Deoendin from, the o Joosite end ortions of the head or plate 8 and at the central portion thereof'are thenozsles 9, and 1 5') in CO11'1 munication Wltl'l the HHGTIGI'VOT the member E the: central nozzle filaeind strai ht and 7 I I s p 7 a adapted to travel directly above the plant row Whilethe end nozzles 10 are ofan elbow uremia with the lob/31' .0 3, Suction ends thereof discosed inwardl" and adapted to be positioned at oppositcsides or a plant row.

The fan F operates to crcate an upward suction through the-member whereby the boll weevils or other 1nsects, "lodged on the -.-;plants,- are collected, said fan also creating a said rear end loftheconduit. Theside walls-7 ;of"the' conduit C adjacent the roar :yvall thereofand the rear Wallis provided with the openings12, each of which havingdisblast "of; air passing through the I conduit C for-gathern g the insects to the opposite or rear end of said 'conduit'and droppingsuch insects Within the housingrll'depending from posed thereover a reticulated fabric or screen 14, the air-blast discharging through said openings 12. p a

Supported onthe structure orframe S and extending transyerselyof the platform P is a line shaft 15 and fixedlyniounted upon the extremities of said. shaft are vthe sprockets 1'6 and 18, each of Which beingin driven connection through the medium of the chain 17w1th a Wheel W, said Wheel having associated the'rewitha gearsl'? around which said chain passes.

Freely mounted on the opposite c; d portions ofthe shaft 15 are the sprockets l6 and 18. Associated with each pair of sprockets 16. and 18 are the clutching elemer ts 19, said elements being maintained normally in Working engagement through the instrumentahty'of the coil spring 20 surrounding the shaft 15;

Operatively engaged With the hub of each of the elementsil9 is a fork 21 carried by an end. portion .ofthe "horizontally disposed lever 2:2, said lever being supported inter mediate its ends for swinging movement by from shaft 29, transversely of the platforn'i P adjacent the an outstanding bracket 28 carried by the structure or frame S. The opposite or for-' Ward endportion of the'lever 22 extends Within a cam groove 243 formed in the periphery o-fa disc'orwheel 25, said wheel being supported .by an outstanding bracket 26 carried by the structure orframe S;

()perati ely engaged With the disc or Wheel 25 1s a link 27 also operatively en-,

gaged with the crank arm 28 depending The shaft 18 disposed drivers'seat B "andis operatively supported by the supporting structure or frame S. An

upstandinglever 30 is fixed to'said shaft-29 whereby the occupant of the s readily manipulate said lever to rotate the discs orWhee-ls in a "direction whereby the 'sprecketslfi and 16 may be'd'isengaged 1'101'11 the sprockets lS and 18 or caused to engage at B may therewith, The lever 30 carries a latch mechk a anism 31 of {a convcntio 'al type coacting: with an upstanding 11101532 also suitably supported by the structure or frame S.

" The shaft' l of the fan-F. extends to one side of the casing and theeXt-ended poi; tion of said shaft-"has tired theretoa s nccket 33 around which passes a chain 8% which is U H 3 pcliitivicly"engaged with the sprocket 18" whereby the fan F is, driven at de speed from the line shaft 15 when the as. O c ated sprocket V 161 is clutched with said sprocket 18. i f V 1 Supported by the forward portion of the fl'al116'O1 structure S is afshaft 35 extending beyondopposite sides of said structure and to the outer, end portions of this shaftare fixed the fpulleys 36 upon which are adapted 4 to be Wound the flexible" members 31''; "The therewith the laterally disposed and outstanding guide pulleys SQsu-itablo supported by the member or housing G.- 'T he shaft also has fixed thereto a toothed ivheel with which engages the [holding pawl operativcly supportedby the stuctuir frame whereby the head or plate 8 is main- 4- I u is to tained in desired raised fpos loin be understood that when this head 8 is to be raised or lowered, the pawl is first disengaged from thewheel 41.

The shaft 35 also has fixed thereto a second i toothed Wheel 43 WithWh-ich is adapted to be selectively engaged one of the reversely directed paWls 44 carried by the lever l5v freelyengagedwith the shaft Upon oscillation or 'sWinging 'noVeinent of the lever-4:5 and With the requisite pawl l carcasses received within such hopper.

housing 6 hereinbefore referred to is also provided in a wall thereof with a door .57 to permit access therein for the purposes gaged with the toothed wheel 43, the shaft may be rotated in a direction toraise or lower the plate or head '8. y

The lever is provided with a conventional latch mechanism 46 coacting with the upstanding rack l-Tcarried by the frame or structure S or otherwise as may be preferred,- i

V, shaft 15 as. being driven direct fromthe I The lever 45 is in relatively close proxs r imi-ty to the seat'B so that the occupant thereof mayreadily grasp the same to raise or lower the plate orhead 8 withoutleaving theseat;

Arranged within the housing 11' and disposed in a directiontransversely of the platform P are the crushing rollers 48, 458' and 48 "arranged in substantially a-triangular "formation infsideelevation with two uppermost rollers substantially horizontally aligned. V

Securedto the side walls of the housing 11 are the plates 49, each of said plates being provided'with the radially disposed slots 50 three in number and equi-distantly spaced and in which are freely disposed the boX-ings 51' with which are engagedthe shafts 52 of the crushing rollers 48, 4E8 and 48".

Engaged with each of the boxings' 51 1s a member 53 in threaded engagement with the plate 49. By proper:manipulation of the screws 53 therollers 48,48 and 48 may" be adjusted one with respect to the other as "may best meet -w1th the requirements of practice.

The shafts 52 of the roller s48 and 4:8

are provided with the meshing gears 54 whereby said rollers are caused to rotate in unison and in a direction one toward theother. The shaft 52 of the thirdroller L8 is provided withagear 55 meshing with one of the gears 5st whereby requisite rotation will be imparted to saidrol1er l8 As the boll weevils or otherinsects are received within the hopper 11, thesame will be drawn between the rollers -18, 48 and 48.'

and crushed and dropped within the lower portion of the housingll. The lower portion of the housing 11 is provided in a wall thereof with a door 56 to permit convenient access within said hopper 11 for the purposes of inspection or for removing the The of inspection or as otherwise may be de- .ture, a conduit supported thereby-and exhasfixed thereto a sprocket 58 with which i such shaft as an internal combustion engine r thelike suitably mounted upon the platform i f a 7 Front-the foregoing description it is thought to be obvious that an insect destroyer constructedin accordance with our invention is particularly 'well adapted for use by reason ofthe convenience and facility with' 'which it "may be assembled and oper-' ated, and itwill also be obvious; thatonr'in-f vention is susceptible of some change and" modification [without departing from the principles and SQlllt thereof and' forthis reasonwe do not wish to beunderstood as limiting ourselves to the precise arrangement and formation of the several "parts" herein shown in carrying outvour invention in practice except as hereinafter claimed, We claim:-'--[ 7 b An apparatus: of the class described comprising, in combination, a portable structending in the direction of travel of the structure, a casing depending from one end portion of the conduitand in communica-j t1on therew th, an expansible member de-;

pending from and in communication with the casing, means wlthin and supported by through the conduit, a shaft Supported by member, a guide pulley for ea'chof the flexible members carried by a side wall of the conduitabove the depending casing, and a nozzle carried by the lower portion ofthe expa-ns'ible member and in communication therewith.

In test mony our signatures.

- GEORGE w; GIBSON. o

HARVEY L; STEWART.

as; the casing for creating asuction through the expansiblem'ember and forcing a blast whereof we hereunto affix 

